MAGAN OF SAPAR
It was in March 1986 that the work of renovating the Sapar (Surendranagar district, Gujarat) percolation tank started. I was working with the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India), an NGO, that worked on developing natural resources for improving the livelihoods of the poor. Surendranagar was on of the 3 districts chosen, as it was perennially affected by droughts, sometimes for 3-4 consecutive years.
The renovation of the Sapar tank was part of a drought relief programme that AKRSP had taken up largely with government funding. There was a series of meetings with the people of Sapar and Brahmapuri villages who were to work on this site. We kept insisting that it should and would be different from the government sponsored works in the sense that their rights as workers would be respected and that they would be encouraged to take responsibility of ensuring equitable access to employment opportunities.
It was in March 1986 that the work of renovating the Sapar (Surendranagar district, Gujarat) percolation tank started. I was working with the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India), an NGO, that worked on developing natural resources for improving the livelihoods of the poor. Surendranagar was on of the 3 districts chosen, as it was perennially affected by droughts, sometimes for 3-4 consecutive years.
The renovation of the Sapar tank was part of a drought relief programme that AKRSP had taken up largely with government funding. There was a series of meetings with the people of Sapar and Brahmapuri villages who were to work on this site. We kept insisting that it should and would be different from the government sponsored works in the sense that their rights as workers would be respected and that they would be encouraged to take responsibility of ensuring equitable access to employment opportunities.
These were, as readers may recall, the early days of participatory development and various NGOs at that time were experimenting with their own understanding of ‘participation’. Most of the meetings were in the late evenings. Children invariably outnumbered adults (read, men) in these meetings, but were often shooed away with “This is none of your business, go away” type of remarks. Not the ones to be deterred, they would faithfully reassemble, a little away from the adults, curious, huddled in groups, trying to understand what was happening.
The boys were expectedly more boisterous, trying to imitate their adults by tying a towel around their heads like a turban, leaning carelessly against the wall, and in turn, shooing off the girls with a similar “This is none of your business…” type of statements. The girls, not to be left behind would still reassemble, a little more away from the boys, whispering excitedly, pulling their odhnis (a colourful length of fabric that the girls started wearing from their adolescence which was loosely wrapped round their shoulders and with which they would cover their heads).
It was in one such meeting that the inauguration of the work was announced for the following day. Eight in the morning was the time decided. About 30 people – 20 from Sapar and 10 from Brahmapuri were to come and start working. The wages were announced (which was as per the wage rates announced by the government for drought relief works) and other related conditions of employment on the site were explained. A local committee agreed to make a list of those eligible for the first round of employment.
It was one of the first major projects the AKRSP staff team was undertaking since they set up their Surendranagar office in April 1985. While great enthusiasm, the entire team made their way to the site with coconuts and agarbattis (incence sticks) being more conspicuous than measure tapes and technical maps. By 8 am, the team was there (which was rather unusual), with a beaming Bharatbhai, the big built engineer with a booming voice (who was on deputation from the state government), proceeding to the place where the work was to start. But strange enough, not a soul was in sight. None of the committee members, none of the supposedly identified ‘first round workers’ were in sight.
We climbed on to the tank bund (the earthen wall of the tank) to look at Sapar on the right and Brahmapuri on the left to see if we could see anyone coming. There was no one in sight. As we got down and decided to wait, we saw someone climbing over the bund and heading in our direction. We could distinctly make out the spade and a tagara (used for carrying loose earth). “Finally, one of the workers” we said, delighted. The bright yellow shirt and the brown trousers were also distinctly visible, and so was the pink towel wrapped around his head like a turban. It did not take us long to realise that it was Magan, one of the most enthusiastic of the Koli Patel kids, a 15 year old from a poor family that could not afford to send him to school.
Life as a daily wage labourer had toughened him. He had started working earlier on in life. His palms were hard with years of working with the spade and the plough. His frame though lean, was tough and muscular. He had often expressed his desire, rather ruefully, to go to school, but it had never happened. It was rare to see him idle. If it was not work on the farm or a construction site, it was grazing the cows or fetching water – but always someone who welcomed us with a bright smile, ready to run around to muster the adults for a village meeting whenever required.
“ Bharatbhai, I am ready. Can I start work”? he asked with his usual cheerful smile. On being asked about the others, he simply said “They will come, but can I start ? Because you are going to pay me piece rate wages. The more I work, the more I’ll earn. And I can work faster, earlier in the day”. We were in a bit of dilemma about engaging a ‘child labourer’. We were new on this job and hence did not know what to do. “The government rules prohibit anyone under 14. He is 15, so it is ok”, announced Bharatbhai. The decision was made. Magan started work by hitting the spade on the ground at a place he was allotted and put the earth into the tagara, amidst applause from all of us. He was delighted.
That was the beginning of our friendship. The work on the site went on regularly for almost 4 months. At its peak, there were 550 people working on the site at a time. But on each of my visits to the site, it was pleasure to look out for him, to be greeted by him and occasionally, accompany him back to the village, while he narrated the events of the day. He was one of the most regular workers on the site and took back a tidy sum each week. He was an example in dedication for all those on the site. Someone even nicknamed him ‘engineer saheb (sir)’, since he was seen assisting the site superviser often out of his own interest and curiousity in taking measurements of the work done and even supervising the work with the site superviser, walking along the 2 kms earthen bund.
I kept in touch with him till 1988. He must have now grown up into a responsible, caring and a strong young man, and I hope, with as high a commitment to his family and village, as he had demonstrated at such a young age !
It was one of the first major projects the AKRSP staff team was undertaking since they set up their Surendranagar office in April 1985. While great enthusiasm, the entire team made their way to the site with coconuts and agarbattis (incence sticks) being more conspicuous than measure tapes and technical maps. By 8 am, the team was there (which was rather unusual), with a beaming Bharatbhai, the big built engineer with a booming voice (who was on deputation from the state government), proceeding to the place where the work was to start. But strange enough, not a soul was in sight. None of the committee members, none of the supposedly identified ‘first round workers’ were in sight.
We climbed on to the tank bund (the earthen wall of the tank) to look at Sapar on the right and Brahmapuri on the left to see if we could see anyone coming. There was no one in sight. As we got down and decided to wait, we saw someone climbing over the bund and heading in our direction. We could distinctly make out the spade and a tagara (used for carrying loose earth). “Finally, one of the workers” we said, delighted. The bright yellow shirt and the brown trousers were also distinctly visible, and so was the pink towel wrapped around his head like a turban. It did not take us long to realise that it was Magan, one of the most enthusiastic of the Koli Patel kids, a 15 year old from a poor family that could not afford to send him to school.
Life as a daily wage labourer had toughened him. He had started working earlier on in life. His palms were hard with years of working with the spade and the plough. His frame though lean, was tough and muscular. He had often expressed his desire, rather ruefully, to go to school, but it had never happened. It was rare to see him idle. If it was not work on the farm or a construction site, it was grazing the cows or fetching water – but always someone who welcomed us with a bright smile, ready to run around to muster the adults for a village meeting whenever required.
“ Bharatbhai, I am ready. Can I start work”? he asked with his usual cheerful smile. On being asked about the others, he simply said “They will come, but can I start ? Because you are going to pay me piece rate wages. The more I work, the more I’ll earn. And I can work faster, earlier in the day”. We were in a bit of dilemma about engaging a ‘child labourer’. We were new on this job and hence did not know what to do. “The government rules prohibit anyone under 14. He is 15, so it is ok”, announced Bharatbhai. The decision was made. Magan started work by hitting the spade on the ground at a place he was allotted and put the earth into the tagara, amidst applause from all of us. He was delighted.
That was the beginning of our friendship. The work on the site went on regularly for almost 4 months. At its peak, there were 550 people working on the site at a time. But on each of my visits to the site, it was pleasure to look out for him, to be greeted by him and occasionally, accompany him back to the village, while he narrated the events of the day. He was one of the most regular workers on the site and took back a tidy sum each week. He was an example in dedication for all those on the site. Someone even nicknamed him ‘engineer saheb (sir)’, since he was seen assisting the site superviser often out of his own interest and curiousity in taking measurements of the work done and even supervising the work with the site superviser, walking along the 2 kms earthen bund.
I kept in touch with him till 1988. He must have now grown up into a responsible, caring and a strong young man, and I hope, with as high a commitment to his family and village, as he had demonstrated at such a young age !
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